“S-h-h-h-h! Do you hear that?” Lynne and I had found a trail outside of Breckenridge, Colorado, that we had never hiked before, so we veered off the main trail to see where it went. As we were walking, she hushed me and asked if I could hear the bird singing. Even with my hearing aids, I couldn’t. But within a minute we were surprised by some nuthatches. I dug into my pack and broke off a small piece of a protein bar, and the size of the flock grew. It wasn’t like Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” but it was quite a treat.
As we continued our hike, we talked about how we miss things when we don’t take time to stop and listen. I was reminded of a worship song I love to listen to:
Faintly You surround me
Faintly You surround me
Faintly You surround me
And I feel Your touch
And I feel Your touchThe wind in the tree softly whispers
Wind in the tree softly whispers
Wind in the tree softly whispers
And I hear Your voice
And I hear Your voice(“Faintly,” John Barnett, Vineyard Music)
Scripture tells us God speaks to us in a whisper. Elijah went on the run after Jezebel threatened him, and he ended up on the mount of God.
“And He [the Lord] said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12, ESV)
I saw “The Ten Commandments” as a kid, so my concept of God speaking was the booming, reverberating voice from the movie — and for Moses it may very well have been that. But my experience over the years is that I need to make the effort to get alone and quiet my anxious mind if I am to hear the whisper of God, or what the KJV calls “a still small voice.”
In a sermon series titled “The Narrow Path,” my pastor, Brandon Guindon, made this statement: “Jesus will not compete with the noise if your life.” That means it’s my part to eliminate the outside noise and distractions if I am to hear His voice.
We all should want to hear His voice because Jesus said that it is a narrow path we need to follow.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
And why should we want to enter by the narrow gate? Because that is the only path that will lead to God’s perfect plan for our lives.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Take time today to get away and spend time with King Jesus. Ask God to tune your ear to the sound of His whisper. It comes faintly.
What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis
